It doesn’t take a blizzard to spur some runners to hop on a treadmill. Many owners just aren’t big fans of heading out in the dark and cold nearly every day for more than a quarter of the year. Treadmills are a great way to stick with your running through the toughest parts of the year. And that can mean summer, too—some runners retreat to treadmills when it’s scorching outside, but air-conditioned inside. How bad can it be always to have a nice, cool bottle of water within reach? Busy parents also appreciate treadmills because they solve the child-care question. These runners keep Junior occupied nearby while they hop on the treadmill for their 30 or 40 minutes of running.
Treadmills have long been a favorite of runners returning from or nursing an injury. The belt on most of them is padded, so you’re assured a softer, more level surface with surer footing than you would probably find outside. There’s also the matter of control. You can have pretty much any kind of workout you want on a good treadmill, all at the touch of a button. You can play with the incline setting to simulate a hilly run, adjust the pace setting to get in some fast running, or just keep the pace constant and see how long you can comfortably keep up.
Notice that I said “pretty much any kind of workout.” One of the few types of workouts that you can’t have on a treadmill is a visually interesting one. That’s the main drawback of treadmills—it can be very difficult not to feel like a gerbil in a cage. No matter how bad the weather, I would prefer to run outside most days. I like looking at my surroundings, encountering Mother Nature, and all that. But that’s me. If treadmills help to make your running easier, then I’m all in favor of your using one.
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